Campbell, TX

Campbell sits in eastern Hunt County, a mile north of Interstate 30 and six miles east of Greenville. The settlement began in 1880 when the East Line and Red River Railroad reached the site, and the first town grew around its station. The post office opened in 1881 under the name Oliverea, then the name Campbell became standard; the post office adopted it officially in 1882. The town's namesake is debated, though Thomas M. Campbell, later governor of Texas, was involved in extending the railroad. By 1900 Campbell had become a shipping center for area farmers, with a college and a dozen businesses.

That railroad-era town is now crossed by the I-30 corridor, and Campbell City Hall at 506 West Main Street remains the municipal address. The city limits expanded through mid-1980s reincorporation to include part of the surrounding rural area. I-30 carries through traffic while Campbell's local streets hold the older center, giving the town a highway edge and a Main Street civic address. Campbell Independent School District gives the town another long-running institution. Campbell Academy began in 1880, the same year J. F. Beasley donated land for the community and school. The campus moved through buildings erected in 1913 and 1937-38; after a 1993 fire, residents approved a bond and dedicated a fourth campus in January 1994. School teams take the field in football, basketball, track, cross country, golf, baseball, and softball, alongside academic and career programs. In Campbell, the railroad, the school, and the municipal address give the town its clearest three-part outline.